Swiss startup Optohive wins CES award for brain-monitoring tech

Swiss startup Optohive has won the Pitch Competition Award at CES Unveiled Milan, the Italian edition of the technology event that previews the annual CES trade show in Las Vegas. The company developed a wearable device that monitors brain activity using non-invasive optical technology.

Optohive co-founder Michael Wyser received the award on October 21, 2026. The startup emerged from a research project at ETH Zurich, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich.

Its device, called HiveOne, resembles a sensor-equipped headset. It measures changes in blood oxygenation in the brain, providing researchers with a way to monitor brain activity without invasive procedures. The technology could open up new possibilities for neuroscience research and, in the longer term, help with the diagnosis and treatment of neurological disorders.

As part of its prize, Optohive will be able to present HiveOne at CES 2027 in Las Vegas. The startup will exhibit in Eureka Park, the area dedicated to young technology companies, where it can introduce its technology to international investors and industry professionals.

CES Unveiled Milan offers a preview of innovations expected to feature at CES, one of the world's major technology trade shows. For Optohive, the award provides a route to greater international exposure as it develops its brain-monitoring technology.